Stench of hipsters everywhere. Have never heard these guys. Almost as much air-drumming as at a Rush show, and Patrick (drums, tambor-drums) looks and sounds like he hits the drums nearly as hard as Neil Peart. Dan (guitar, marac-tar, gui-bass) has all the rock moves down — the Moon-Walk-Back-to-the-Amps, the Shuffle-Back-Up-to-the-Mic, the I’m-Creeping-Back-Up-Halfway-OH-JUST-KIDDING-Moon-Walking-Fast-Back-to-the-Amps, the Side-Shuffle, the Skedaddle, the Hopping-On-One-Leg-With-Other-Leg-Suspended-In-Highkick, the Standing-On-Drum-Risers-HELP-ME-I’M-FALLING-OFF-Hah-No-Just-Kidding-I’m-Not, the Bobble-Head, the Wobbly-Head, The-I’m-Hitting-The-High-Note-On-Tiptoes, the Hunched-Over-Hopping-Muppet, and the Forward-Springing-Bam-Bam-Bam-The-Song-Is-Over. This is definitely the music you tighten up to. All the chicks are in cocktail dresses, while all the guys fit into Exhibit A-B-C-D below. Girl in front of me keep standing up so I kick her seat and she glares at me and sits down, until the end; I guess she won. Patrick hits drums with the tamborine — a bold new style (or maybe revivalist). Two guys from opening act (The Morning Benders) come out to play bass and keyboard for a few songs, are not audible but are stoned. I ask Kelley if this is louder than the Mogwai show, she says almost. Inter-song banter is handled by square sine-wave feedback pattern.
On the day of the technological singularity, when A.I. erases all record and memory of the White Stripes ever existing, these guys are going to make it big on the merit of their originality.
UPDATE JUL 27 2010: Kelley’s ears still hurt. Not ring, hurt. That’s the power of the Black Keys.
UPDATE JUL 27 2010: Kelley indicates that the guys playing occasional backup with the Black Keys weren’t from the Morning Benders, but offers no insight into who they were. You’ve made it big when you can afford to keep two guys in reserve to play on five songs.
Exhibit A-B-C-D
the Morning Benders (video)
Black Keys – final tones (video)
Disgusting hippie in frontish rows, raging.
The DAR
Panoramic collage via AutoStitch for iPhone
Side-Action
Dinner
